Basejumper.com - archive

Hey Guys,
53 years ago today Brian Schubert and I initiated the El Capitan. Some 12 years later Carl Boenish and a handful of jumpers replicated the jump and named it BASE jumping. That's how your sport began.

Thank you, Mike.

Badass and legendary work sir.

Much respect for taking that mad leap.

How did you guys come to find yourselves perched on that precipice confident and ready to jump?

Was the idea rattling around in your heads for a long time? Was it more of a serendipity moment where the concept and act followed closely?

And if I may, what was the chatter on exit like? I know for me, now with the knowledge that this jumping off a cliff thing is likely to work, the conversations just prior to jumping are a weird and fascinating thing. So I can only imagine your back and forth standing there steeped in the unknown.

Cheers brother!

This is a good read: http://www.basejumper.com/...E_jump_1966_771.html

Respect

Hi Freedom1,

We spent about a month trying to learn all we could learn about the El Capitan. We got the basics from the library, but the important stuff like the wind characteristics at the face of a sheer monolith, etc., had to be learned empirically. The idea was suggested by a friend at work. Brian and I talked a lot about whether to do the Royal Gorge bridge or the El Capitan. The El Capitan seemed more exciting.

At the exit we tried throwing out a windstreamer. It bumped into the face about ten feet down. However after the hours it took to climb up to the top we wouldn't be denied the jump. There actually was no banter. Brian went off first unannounced. I was about 2 seconds behind him. The jump was an absolutely awesome experience I will always remember, even though I broke an ankle on a completely avoidable cliff strike. Brian fared considerably worse. He landed in a down draft and crushed both his feet.

Cheers to you! Thanks for your kind words.

-Mike

Don't you mean our sport?

Big respect!

Hey Michael
First of all I , behalf of Iranian BASE jumpers , cogratulate you for the 53rd. anniversaary of El Captain , Yosemite BASE jump.

Although BASE jumping is a very newborn sport in Iran , it is very fast growing sport .
In recent years about 150 BASE jumper joined this wounderful activity .
On 23 July , group of Iranian BASE jumpers made some base jump to commemorate Your and late Brian BASE jump .
These jumps made under supervision of Behzad Payandeh(known as the father of Iran BASE jump ) and 7 other base jumpers took part in the event .
I have attached some photo of this event .

 



Nice one!




John
Kenya Base #3
SA Base #56
USBA #1420